Meet Stu Sauce | Improv Guitarist and Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stu Sauce and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stu, do you have a budget?
Of course I have a budget. My budget is so tight that I my wallet puckers every time I slide my debit card.

Honestly, budgeting is something I need to get better at. Before December, most of my money went to drinking and partying; As of recently, I have taken a hiatus from living at the club, and drinking from every bottle and shot-glass between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. The money that would have been allocated to a most fun and forgettable time has now goes towards my recordings.

When it comes to spending, I have always had the Nike mindset, “just do it”.
Thank God, I learned at an early age to always have one account to put money into, and live like it doesn’t really exist.

I’d probably worry more about my financial situation if I didn’t do things this way. It is not too unreal for me to make poor spending decisions, since I am influenced by the poor choices that come with MTV dreams, and Rock-star tendencies. I am notorious for impulse buying instruments, concert-tickets, and festival passes.

At the end of the day I know I cannot take any of the money with me, but this untouched account really helps me budget the things that help me survive the day to day grind when I overspend from my regular account.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is the culmination of serious musicianship and satire. It’s always been a passion to blur the lines of comedy and music; making entertainment and performance art. After taking a very serious approach to music between 2015 and 2021, writing funky dance party songs, going solo and changing directions completely had made me both nervous and excited.

As of now, writing “Poopin’ On the Clock,” and some of my newer comedy songs are my proudest moments. It’s the most relatable material I have come up with. When I finished writing Poopin’ on the Clock, it brought me back to a nostalgic moment; it brought me back to when I was nine, watching Cheap Trick at Gulfstream Park from the lawn. I remember the singer of Cheap Trick telling the crowd, “You know you are the greatest songwriter in the world, if you can write a song with one chord.” Poopin’ on the Clock is my one chorded song. Not many years after that moment, I picked up the guitar.

When it comes to being a professional musician, I have to say a lot of it has to be in the energy and showmanship I bring to the event. It gets me booked as both a sit-in and headlining performer. I make the experience surreal for audiences and hype up the crowd for everyone I play with. Being hype AF has only become easy after 20 years of practice. A lot of trial and error went into doing what I do, live and in the studio.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned along the way is making the choice to not book every show and event. Being scarce adds value to one as an original performer. Though I want to appease every venue and promoter, cause I love to play, saying “no” to shows has made me more sought-out.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I wanted to show my best friend the best time ever I would start by taking them to Walt Grace Vintage in Miami for cars, guitars, and coffee, and then to my other favorite coffee shop, Kay Rico, because I am a hardcore coffee addict. If I could inject coffee intravenously, I swear on all that is holy, I would.

On a Friday or Saturday Night, we would have to party at the Wharf or Hub Spark where the music and scenery is bangin’, then definitely spend the Sunday in South Beach for Muscle Beach work outs, juggling, and Salsa. South Beach on a Sunday is a must!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate this shout out to Caleb “C. Rome” Morales. When my funky party band of 6 years, Xotic Yeyo, broke up, as a casualty of Covid, I was in a very low point in my life. I was lost and depressed, until C. Rome picked up my phone call about recording a comedy song with me. Just being open to it was what the glimmer of hope I need to be my saucy self, again.

I would like to shout out my homie Shay Brice and the teacher-bathroom I poop in at my day-job, for influencing the lyrics to my song, “Poopin’ On the Clock.” Big thanks to everyone involved in the recording of this track: Miguel Spitery, Giuliano Fransezze, Jesse Balber, Dusten Gilchrist, Danielle Smith, and Snowy Wiggins.

Last but not least I would like to shout out a poem “Dreams,” by Langston Hughes.

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Website: www.StuSauce.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/Stu.Sauce

Image Credits
Cornelius Funk